Lesson 7: Prewriting: Comparison and Contrast

[Pages:6]Graded Project

Lesson 7: Prewriting: Comparison and Contrast

Objectives:

For this exam, students will n Use the writing process to draft and revise a comparison and contrast essay

n Write an effective thesis statement

n Identify, define, and analyze literary elements

n Develop critical reading skills

n Use responsible research methods to locate appropriate secondary sources

n Use Modern Language Association (MLA) citation and documentation style to reference secondary source material correctly and appropriately

Introduction

For decades, the film industry has adapted beloved books into movies. When a book is adapted into a film, the story reaches a wider audience and provides a new perspective on the text. In this assignment, you will use comparison and contrast techniques to reveal the ways the plot, characters, and theme of a story are impacted as elements of the narrative change. Topic: To compare and contrast a book and a film based on that book Purpose: To show how the changes made affect the story's plot, characters, and theme in significant ways Method:

n To prepare an outline or graphic organizer that will serve as the foundation for an 1,800?2,000 word comparison and contrast essay

149

n To begin the research process by preparing a bibliography in Modern Language Association citation and documentation format that consists of at least six sources

n 2 primary sources: the book and the film

n 4 secondary sources: book and film reviews, critiques, articles about the book and film, profiles of the author and/or the director and actors that focus on the content of the work.

Audience: Junior and senior-level distance education students enrolled at Penn Foster College

The Writing Process

Plan and Prewrite

1. Watch the Comparison and Contrast lecture notes video on your student portal. This video reviews the essay requirements and comparison and contrast techniques.

2. Read the book and watch the film you've chosen to write about.

3. Develop the content for your outline/graphic organizer by freewriting about the changes you've noticed. Review pages 366?369 of your textbook and identify a few bases of comparison:

a. Are there scenes omitted or added? How does this affect the sequence of events?

b. What is the central conflict of the book? The film? How do the author and the director present the conflict? Are the stakes higher in one or the other?

c. Is the main character's personality different in the film? How is it different? How does it affect the way we understand his/her character?

i. Is the narrator of the story the same? Does any element of the story change because we can't be in the narrator's head at all times? How does this change our understanding of the characters or the story?

150

Graded Project

d. How is theme revealed throughout the book and the film?

4. Now that you've compared and contrasted the book and the film, freewrite on what the significance of these changes are to help you develop your ideas for the thesis statement.

5. Work through the Guided Writing Assignment for Comparison and Contrast prewriting on page 381 of your textbook. This assignment will help you determine your purpose and focus for your comparison and contrast essay.

Research

1. The book and the film are your primary sources and count as two sources in your bibliography and toward the research requirement for your essay. Be sure that you have carefully noted where you found them, either online or in a physical copy/in print.

2. You'll need a minimum of four other sources. These sources can be reviews, articles, and interviews related to the book and film.

3. Go to the library. Your Penn Foster digital library provides resources that will help you to meet the research requirements for your essay, but keep in mind that research in a library, even a digital one, isn't like searching online. To learn more, visit the Penn Foster Library site.

Use Expanded Academic ASAP, which is a subscription-only database available in Penn Foster's digital library. You can access the database by clicking on the Library Services link in your Student Portal. See the "Academic Support and Online Resources" section in the introduction to this study guide.

4. Search online, but remember that you'll need to evaluate your sources carefully; review pages 569?573 in your textbook. The following are examples of quality sources.

a. Reviews by book and film critics

Graded Project

151

b. Interviews with the author and/or the director and actors

c. Profiles by journalists and other professional writers

Prepare Your Outline/Graphic Organizer

You may choose to submit either a formal outline or a graphic organizer for this assignment. Your outline or graphic organizer should be sufficiently detailed to illustrate your plan for your essay. In other words, it should be as detailed as possible.Reread page 144?146 in your textbook on graphic organizers and outlines.

1. This assignment (both prewriting and essay) requires you analyze the significance of the differences between the book and the film. Please review pages 372?374 in your textbook for the characteristics of a comparison and contrast essay and two sample graphic organizers.

2. Be sure to state your main points, secondary points, and supporting evidence. Include any references to secondary sources as well, and use MLA parenthetical citation to link them to your annotated bibliography.

3. Revise your work to ensure that your thesis statement, main points, evidence, and secondary sources all work together to address the purpose of the assignment.

Assignment Checklist

For this assignment, you must submit your n Outline or graphic organizer

n Bibliography

Submit Your Exam

Ensure your exam follows the proper format for submission: n 1-inch margins on all sides

n 12 pt. Times New Roman font

n Double spacing

152

Graded Project

1. Use the header function in your word-processing program to enter your personal identification and exam information:

Student Name

ID Number Exam Number

Street Address

City, State, Zip

Email Address

2. Save your exam with the file name: IDNumber_ExamNumber_LastName_FirstName.

3. Save your exam in either MS Word or Rich Text Format (.rtf). If an instructor can't open the file you submit, it will be returned ungraded.

4. When your exam has been evaluated and returned to you, you will be able to review the instructor's comments by clicking on the View Project button next to the grade and downloading the Instructor Feedback File. If you have trouble viewing the file, please contact an instructor.

SUBMITTING YOUR PROJECT

To submit your essay exam, follow these steps:

1. Go to .

2. Log in to your student portal.

3. Click on Take Exam next to the lesson you're working on.

4. Follow the instructions provided to complete your exam.

Be sure to keep a backup copy of any files you submit to the school! Tip: Review the evaluation rubric on the following page before submitting your exam.

Graded Project

153

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST PREWRITING EXAM RUBRIC

Pass

Fail

Thesis, Ideas, and Content n The thesis makes a focused claim about the types of differences between the chosen book and movie and the significance or effect of those differences. n The outline/organizer provides a close reading of book and film using comparison and contrast patterns of development to identify differences between the two mediums. n Each main point includes evidence to prove the differences between the book and the film exist. n The main points analyze the significance of the differences between the book and film.

Organization n Ideas are logically arranged and help move paper forward. n Each proposed main point is focused on one aspect of the topic and helps support the thesis statement. n Secondary source information including reviews and articles is used to support claims made about the significance of the differences to the story.

Style and Voice n Maintains a consistent point of view on topic n Proposed evidence will engage readers' interest in the topic.

Bibliography n Properly formatted using MLA guidelines. n Provided a minimum of six potential outside sources for research that could be used in the essay.

Conventions n The outline/organizer has been spell-checked and proofread to check for errors in word choice and typos. n The paper is reasonably free of errors that interfere with a reader's ability to understand the content.

Format n The prewrite is developed as an outline or graphic organizer. n It includes all required information in a properly formatted header.

154

Graded Project

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download